The only blog dedicated to your wrists

Archive for October, 2011:

Swollen Wrist Treatments

A swollen wrist is never fun. It can interfere with your daily activities. In fact, it can impact almost everything you do, even if it is not on your dominant arm.

You may not be aware of this but there are many ways to treat a swollen wrist. There is no need to limit your options to simply taking over the counter anti-inflammatory medication. That is just one of many treatment options that you have. It has value but it is not your only treatment tool.

Ice Therapy

When you have a swollen wrist, especially if there is no real known reason for it, then you may want to try some of the other options. One other thing you can do is to use ice.

It is recommended that when you first have swelling you use ice.

You would ice the wrist ten minutes every hour for the first couple of days.

Heat Therapy

After the first 48 hours, you can use heat.

Heat therapy is recommended for short periods of time and should never be used while sleeping.

Heat should be used for injuries which make blood flow slow down and for injuries caused by overusing the swollen area.

Wrapping

Another option to treat a swollen wrist is to wrap it. You can do this by using an ace bandage.

You will want to make sure it is tight enough to offer support, but not so tight that it cuts off your circulation.

When your wrist is wrapped, you will not be as likely to use it in ways which may irritate the swelling even more and make the discomfort increase.

Sling

If you don’t want to wrap your swollen wrist you can still keep it elevated and still by using a sling.

A sling is a great way to keep it elevated.

It will also keep it immobilized so that you do not overuse it while the swelling goes down.

There are many options when it comes to treating a swollen wrist. Don’t limit yourself to the simply using pain relievers or anti inflammatory medication. You can get the swollen wrist back to normal when you use these other options.

Swollen Wrist

A swollen wrist is one of the most common injuries suffered by cheerleaders. Cheerleaders are putting pressure on their wrist. Unfortunately, once the wrist is hurt, it can take a long time to heal. In fact, a swollen wrist can become a long nagging injury that never seems to go away.

Tip #1 – Rest

When you injure your wrist, the key to letting it heal is to rest the area. You must stop using the injured area.

This is very hard with a swollen wrist because we use our wrists so much.

Another problem is that the wrist will feel better before it is actually healed. You will think it is ok to get back out there. If you do this too soon, you will reinjure it.

Tipe #2 – Ice

There is good news for your swollen wrist. There are not many parts to the wrist that can be injured.

With ice, you can reduce the swelling. This will help you take care of the problem.

Just remember to take caution when you return to the cheer squad. Reduced swelling doesn’t mean you are completely healed. There is the risk of hurting your wrist again.

Tip #3 – Use Caution

When you do decide to return to the squad, you need to take precaution.

You will need to wrap your wrist with an ace bandage. This bandage will give your wrist some extra protection. This will guard against the trauma that can be caused normal cheer activities.

Another thing you can do is to work your way back slowly. Try not to do too much too soon.

If you keep your wrist wrapped in an ace bandage, and do not do too much too soon, you should be back to normal in no time.

If you are stubborn, then you are going to continue to experience pain. You will most likely reach a point where you decide that sitting out is better than dealing with the pain.

If you ever suffer from a swollen wrist, you will see that the pain can be terrible. If you take some easy-to-follow steps, you can be back on the squad in no time. Now that is something to cheer about!

Swollen Wrist and Racing

A swollen wrist is a common sports injury. I was recently visited by a cyclist. He had a minor bike accident. During a 10k race, he collided with another racer. He was thrown from his bicycle. Luckily, a swollen wrist was his only injury. However, the injury definitely got in the way of his training.

Diagnosis

I did a routine examination of the wrist. I noticed there was quite a bit of tenderness around the area. The patient was complaining of limited mobility. He also had pain and stiffness around the joint.

My first step was to rule out a break or fracture. The x-ray showed that there was no damage to the bone in the wrist or hand.

I asked for a description of his fall. I wanted to know how he landed on his hand and wrist. From this, I determined that he had a wrist sprain.

Sprains are extremely common and can happen to anyone. The ligaments and tendons around the wrist were stretched in a way that is not normal. For this type of injury, there is often pain and swelling in the joint. In this racer’s case, the fall he experienced injured his wrist. There was a sprain and bruising. This also resulted in a swollen wrist.

Treatment

The best remedy for a swollen wrist is to limit the amount of movement in the joint. I immediately wrapped the wrist in a bandage.

I suggested that the racer limit activity for about a week to 10 days. Keeping pressure off the area and rest will heal the sprain and repair the stretched ligaments in a short time.

In addition, I also recommended an ice compresses to reduce swelling.

I advised hime to get an over the counter pain reliever, such as aspirin or ibuprofen. This would help with the discomfort.

A swollen wrist can be an uncomfortable problem to deal with for a racer. You need to be at 100% when participating in a 10k challenge. Also, their normal routine can be impacted. The most important thing to remember is this extremely common injury can heal quickly as long as you follow a few simple directions and keep your focus on crossing the finish line.

RICE included the following protocol. Rest is first, and the affected area should especially be rested. Second, ice the affected area to reduce the swelling. Third, compress the swollen area if possible with a bandage. Last, elevate the swollen area above the heart.

If a patient is experiencing wrist problems, RICE can be carried out until the patient can see a doctor.

If the RICE protocol is effective and relieves symptoms, it may not be necessary to consult a medical professional.

However, if symptoms persist, clinical diagnosis is essential, since a swollen wrist can often lead to more serious injuries.

If you have been looking for relief, the basic facts and tips may help you discover relief. Healing your swollen wrist may easily be a case solved.

Trigger Thumb Relief

Trigger thumb can be a crippling injury. The symptoms are caused by repeated force or pressure to your thumb or other fingers. You can treat the issue yourself or seek professional help. Fortunately, this condition does not require a serious medical procedure but rather therapy. The key to treating trigger thumb pain is restoring movement.

Cause

When you get trigger thumb, the tendons that connect your muscle to your bones have become swollen. This restricts movement and makes it painful to extend your thumb or fingers.

You might suffer from locking or stiffness of them as well. This has likely been caused by the stress of some repeated motion, like grasping something for very long periods of time.

Prevention

Help prevent trigger thumb symptoms by stopping during activity. During this break, stretch your fingers.

This keeps your sinovial fluids and tendons moving in good function to prevent inflammation.

Treatment

If you are already suffering from trigger thumb symptoms, there are many options for recovery.

The first is stopping the motion that has caused the condition. This can be anything including texting or driving.

This might not be an option for you if your job is what is causing trigger thumb. Industrial and agricultural workers are most commonly affected by the condition. This is because their jobs involve repeated use of the hands. In this case, you might benefit from a splint. It will help restrict movement and reduce pain.

Another trigger thumb treatment involves exercises. They should work the joint and tendon. This will return rotation.

Your doctor may use a steroid injection to the tendon. This can help relieve pain and keep your finger straight. This will encourage recovery.

Another treatment is done by a therapist. They locate the nodules (bumps) on the tendons. They will massages them to break them up. When the nodules go down, painless movement returns.

In few cases, trigger thumb requires surgery. This happens if the finger does not improve using the other methods. During the procedure, surgeons release the tendon sheath.

Remember that you have many tools to treat and even prevent trigger thumb. They are great options in relieving trigger thumb pain and setting your sites on recovery.

Unlock Your Trigger Thumb Today

Trigger thumb can lock you in discomfort. When trigger thumb pain occurs, you will be looking for the keys to relief immediately. The keys are understanding the symptoms and knowing the treatments available.

Symptoms

Trigger thumb symptoms range from a small amount of pain to a thumb that is locked in a closed position to a bump at the base of the affected thumb.

In addition, there may be swelling and redness.

Infection is one of the possible causes for trigger thumb, especially if there is no history of problems. If your trigger thumb is red and swollen this is a sign of infection. You will want to get checked by a doctor.

Treatments

There are several key treatments for trigger thumb. The key to any treatment option for trigger thumb is to cause a release which is when the muscles relax allowing the effected thumb to open back up.

First, is to learn how to do trigger thumb exercises. This will help strengthen the muscles that control movement of the thumb.

Other treatments range from rest to anything that is useful for reducing swelling. For the most part, people only need rest, exercise, and over the counter pain relievers.

In the most extreme of situation you may need one of two types of surgery. The less invasive can be done in the doctor’s office with only local anesthetic. The doctor inserts a needle and releases the muscle. The more extreme surgery methods act as trigger thumb treatment. The muscle is cut and stretched. This should get rid of the trigger thumb symptoms. While this may seem extreme, for use of the thumb is may be necessary.

If you suffer from trigger thumb, you feel like the lock in firmly in place. These key points will unlock the discomfort for you quickly.

Trigger Thumb

Suffer from painful swelling of the fingers? It may be trigger thumb. Is so, learn how to holster your pain in 3 easy steps. The treatment for this common ailment is simple. It can also be done easily from home. Most patients find significant relief using these 3 key steps.

Causes

Trigger thumb symptoms are caused by repetition. It is a continuous stress to your fingers. If your job or other tasks requires a continuous activity, you can get trigger thumb. This can include grasping or placing repeated stress on fingers.

Arthritis can also add to the swelling of the tendons. This will inhibit movement of the fingers.

Symptoms

This can include soreness and locking/stiffness.

There may also be a clicking of the affected finger.

Treatment

There are a number of trigger thumb relief tips that you can use. These treatments can help you reduce the pain.

The first is to stop the activity that is causing trigger thumb. This can be difficult if your work is what is causing the issue. If it involves hobbies such as playing music or chores like wringing washcloths, try to take a break for a while to allow your hands time to heal.

Besides taking a break, you may also use trigger thumb exercises.

One exercise simply involves stretching your finger out as far as it will go. Try to rotate your thumb in circles. Because your finger is stiff, this will be difficult. Just remember that repetition is key. With time you should begin to regain rotation.

Another exercise is to place your hand palm side down on a table. Individually, lift each finger as high as it will go without pain. Working all your fingers, not just the injured one, will improve hand strength. These exercises help prepare for the final step.

A final step in treating your pain is involves the trigger thumb release. For this treatment, a therapist locates nodules on your fingers. This will happen as you flex and extend your thumb as directed. The pressure applied helps to break up the adhesions in tendons. This will restore movement and flexibility.

In the end, you will find relief. You will have successfully holstered your trigger thumb pain.

Thumb Injury 101

A thumb injury is difficult to recover from. It is interesting to not how much we use our hands/thumbs each day. From tasks big to small, we don’t even think about the role our thumbs play. Our thumbs give us the ability to grasp objects. They allow us to drive a car. Our thumbs help us sign our name. The list of tasks we do thanks to our thumbs is virtually endless.

Did you know?

Did you know that 1 in 6 injuries treated in the E.R. are injuries to the hand or wrist including the thumb?

Thumb injuries can and do vary.

No one is really immune to this injury. Athletes and active people can sustain a thumb injury.

A jammed thumb or a thumb sprain happens when the thumb is bent back. This can happen when you brace yourself from a fall. It can also occur when the thumb is struck by a solid object.

A thumb strain is more often found in people that do repetitive motion. This occurs over an extended period of time.

A broken thumb is often caused by a closed fist striking a hard, immovable object.

Gamekeeper’s Thumb is an injury where the UCL is torn. This happens at the base of the thumb. This injury is named for a common sport’s injury. The gamekeepers often suffered from this injury at the time it was medically discovered. Now, it is very common among skiers. This is due to how they use/grip their hands.

Virtually anyone can suffer from a thumb injury. The bones in the wrist and hand are so fragile. It’s a wonder there aren’t injuries to the thumb more often.

Did You Know – Part 2?

A few basic steps can have you feeling better after a thumb injury. Much of the healing is basic common sense. Still, it never hurts to brush up on basic first aid. This will help you manage a thumb injury.

First – Swelling will be the most noticeable and problematic issue to deal with. If you have any type of thumb injury, treating the swelling should be your first priority. Ice the swollen area for 15-20 minutes every hour, until you can see the swelling go down.

Second – Take an over-the-counter pain reliever to help manage the pain.

Third – See a doctor. This will ensure that there aren’t any broken bones or fractures.

Fourth and final tip – Get a good wrist brace with thumb support (thumb spica), to help speed the healing.

If not properly treated, thumb injuries can often lead to early onset arthritis. It’s best to treat any thumb injury as soon as possible. Follow all of the treatment options prescribed by your physician. Now, you aren’t all thumbs but you are thumb injury savvy!

Tenosynovitis, discovered in 1895, is a condition that can cause great discomfort. In fact, it is a painful condition in the hand involving the tendons and the sheath that protect the tendons of the thumb.

When Dr. Quervain discovered the condition, there was no treatment and no known cause.While there are now 3 steps to Tenosynovitis wrists relief, the cause is still unknown. Some people believe that it is a repetitive motion injury but there is no real proof.

If you suffer from this condition, your concern is with finding a solution to the pain. Thankfully, the 3 steps to relief are fairly easy.

What are the 3 steps to Tenosynovitis wrist relief?

The simple truth is that these steps can be done at home without any special procedures, medicines or exercises.

First, Quervain Tenosynovitis is caused by the swelling of the sheath around the tendons of the thumb so rest is in order. This resting will help reduce this inflammation.

Next, take ibuprofen to reduce the pain. Make sure that you follow the dosage information provided with this medicine.

Finally, give your wrist time to heal. This means to take it easy and not overdo activities with this wrist. Most patients show total recovery within a year of diagnoses.

Are there other solutions to Tenosynovitis pain?

It is possible to have surgery to correct this condition. However, most doctors recommend using the methods above.

Quervain syndrome can also be treated with cortisone shots. However, the effectiveness of these shots has not been proven.

Having the condition Tenosynovitis wrist can be a painful proposition but there is relief available. It just comes with a prescription of rest, pain ibprofen and time. This combination is the 3 steps to Tenosynovitis relief and the key to pain relief. Now, you can see what it feels like to live without the pain.